Horror Story Review: "Mive" by Carl Jacobi

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This atmospheric little horror tale begins with a long description of a marsh known as the “Mive” for no apparent reason. Within the “Mive” is an area known as “The Flan.” Again, the narrator says no reason is given for its name. To me, “flan” is a yummy Mexican dessert. It was hard to make the switch to a creepy marsh. The reader is told the narrator is not one to go looking for adventure, but one day as he is out walking, he decides to take a looksee into the Mive. Near the Flan, a stunningly beautiful black butterfly—or it is a butterfly?—with a wingspan of fifteen inches comes out of nowhere. He tries catch it, but fails. He notices the first two fingers and the palm of his hand were coated with a powder that had rubbed off from the wings of the butterfly. The sweat on his hand turned the powder into a bluish substance that gave off a wonderfully sweet aroma, almost like a perfume. As much as he fought the urge, he couldn’t help but put his fingers in his mouth. The taste was surprisingly bitter and he felt sick to his stomach, but the things the saw… A bit of patience goes a long way in reading this. The description in the beginning may bore many readers. The horror in the latter part of the story is nicely done, moody and atmospheric without blood and guts. On a scale of 1 to 10 (one being run away like the devil’s after you, 10 being run to Barnes and Noble’s), I’d rate this a nice solid 7. Author Carl Jacobi worked as a reporter for the Minneapolis Star, as a continuity writer in radio, and, during and after WWII, as an electronics inspector for Honeywell Corporation. I cannot find this story online, only in print anthologies. _____ Title: “Mive” Author: Carl Jacobi (1908-1997) First published: Minnesota Quarterly, Fall 1928 Source: ISFDB